Montblanc has given us many horological surprises in the last few years, mainly in the form of their models with the old Minerva 16.29 and 13.21 calibers, chronographs, and all of them very successfully showcasing the aesthetics of the old Minerva chronographs. All thanks to the reappointment of Richemont's CEO Jerôme Lambert, who introduced the Pulsograph in the Heritage Spirit collection back in 2014, a beautiful watch powered by the historic Minerva 13.21 movement, followed in the years that followed by the 1858 with tachymeter function. In the following years, various iterations of the 1858 collection were launched, equipped with Montblanc's historically important chronograph movement 16.29.
Check review of Montblanc 1858 series:
Montblanc has just launched a new historical replica, the 1858 Monopusher Chronograph Origins Limited Edition 100, based on the historic Minerva model from the 1930s. As the vintage Minerva was the original inspiration for the 1858 collection, the 'Origins' symbol is also included in the name of the replica. A bronze version with a champagne-colored dial appeared, as well as a unique bronze case with a vintage green dial that appeared at the Only Watch auction in 2017. Later, Richemont brought out this classic green dial model in a limited edition of 100 pieces, but this limited edition was powered by the smaller 13.21 chronograph movement. Since this movement is operated by a single push-button, it is known as the Montblanc 1858 Single Push-Button Chronograph
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The new limited edition 1858 Monopusher Chronograph Origins Limited Edition 100 for 2021 features a vintage-inspired bronze case and a classic 1930s military watch "flap" construction on the caseback, with a special limited-edition inscription engraved on the inside of the caseback.
The most significant change to the dial is the addition of a Minerva logo at 6 o'clock. The layout remains largely the same as the original, with the rose gold "cathedral" hands contrasting with the black background, the minute counter at 3 o'clock and the small seconds counter at 9 o'clock both with orbital bezels.
The 46 mm case houses the MB M16.29 hand-wound movement with an oscillating frequency of 18,000 vph and a 50-hour power reserve. This movement carries on the fine craftsmanship of the traditional Minerva movement, where you can see the iconic Minerva arrows, the V-shaped bridges, and embellished details such as hand beveling, Côtes de Genève and pearling.
In recent years, people have been looking for larger dial watches and major brands have introduced their own large dial models. Montblanc launched the 46mm 1858 collection at this time, which is in line with the market trend. Adding their large Minerva movement in a 46mm dial with a single push button design, it looks impressive and fascinating. The vintage brown 22mm alligator leather strap nicely matches the case and black dial. （Click here and Find replaced watch band for Montblanc）
In terms of movement construction and finishing, the movement is skeletonized with dazzling gems, which looks magnificent and is loved and sought after by watch lovers around the world
In recent years, Montblanc has shown us that it is more than just a famous fountain pen brand, it is inching closer to being a great watchmaker. Montblanc has integrated stunning chronograph movements into its various collections, and chronographs are no longer a feature only available in some high-end collections. The 1858 and TimeWalker collections with the 16.29 movement inside are the pinnacle of Montblanc watches.
What is MINERVA 16.29 caliber automatic movement?
This caliber requires a closer look. MB 16.29 is a descendant of the chronograph movement developed by Minerva at the beginning of the 20th century and looks the part. 16.29 is a large, generous movement with a traditional construction, a single-pusher chronograph movement with the pushers to start the chronograph integrated into the crown.
Concluding:
Now, the great fun is not just that it's a lovely vintage-style watch. It's when you turn the watch around and look at the amazing movement that's the biggest added bonus. For me, this is one of the most beautiful chronograph movements on the market today, second only to the chronographs from Lange and Patek Philippe. Montblanc has something very reliable on its hands to offer to its customers. Watch lovers all over the world will admire and appreciate it. For more information, please visit www.montblanc.com
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